Practical Theology Quotes & Sayings

Some guys were meant to be heroes. I was never one of them, but fuck it, I could learn. — Lisa Henry

A true theology must be a preachable theology, and it must speak to the hearts and minds of believers, even if they do not have an earned doctorate in the field. Academics must not be divorced from spirituality or practical matters that affect us as ordinary church members. If we cannot speak to them, we cannot speak to anybody, and our theological pretensions are worthless. — Gerald L. Bray

Too often, however, the church professes its faith but is unsure how to practice it. Even some of my seminary students come to theology classes somewhat reluctantly, assuming that doctrine is neither practical nor relevant to their future ministry. — Kevin Vanhoozer

...the whole configuration of human development needs to be reconceptualized. A lifetime ought not to be thought of in linear manner, an ascending upward gradient, or a kind of bell-shaped curve in which persons develop from one stage of helplessness as an infant through a lifetime to a final stage of helplessness in old age... In...God resides the ultimate coherence from whom each passion for understanding, each new insight, new stage, new vision of the universe, derives its ultimate intelligibility and toward which all such phenomena point. — James E. Loder

There's no pleasure in work if you don't break a sweat. Out in the fields you feel any little breeze. You know it's coming, you hear it in the trees, you almost can't wait for it, and then there it is, like a cold drink of water. — Marilynne Robinson

Equilibrium is enjoyably classy trash. — Richard Roeper

To hold, you must first open your hand. Let go — Lao-Tzu

And when she's fragile like this, she's a little lost bird looking for ts nest. So i give her my wing to hide under. — Maggie Stiefvater

Theology must work itself out in the most practical relationships. — Oswald Chambers

Will today be the day you decide once and for all to make your life consistent with the quality of your spirit? Then start by proclaiming, This is what I am. This is what my life is about. And this is what I'm going to do. Nothing will stop me from achieving my destiny. I will not be denied! — Tony Robbins

Ministry is about joining God where God can be found. — Andrew Root

Above all the studies in the world, study your own hearts; waste not a minute more of your precious time about frivolous & unsubstantial controversies. My dear flock, I have, according to the grace given me, labored in the course of my ministry among you, to feed you with the heart strengthening bread of practical doctrine, and I do assure you, it is far better you should have the sweet and saving impressions of gospel truths, feelingly and powerfully conveyed to your hearts, than only to understand them by a bare ratiocination, or a dry syllogistical inference. Leave trifling studies to such as have time lying on their hands and know not how to employ it. Remember you are at the door of eternity, and have other work to do. Those hours you spend upon heart-work in your closets, are the golden spots of all your time and will have the sweetest influence up to your last hour. — John Flavel

Upon this theology he rarely pondered. The kernel of his practical religion was that it was respectable, and beneficial to one's business, to be seen going to services; that the church kept the Worst Elements from being still worse; and that the pastor's sermons, however dull they might seem at the time of taking, yet had a voodooistic power which 'did a fellow good
kept him in touch with Higher Things. — Sinclair Lewis

An evil cannot be eradicated by making it more profitable. — John E. Wade II

And though he had almost flunked in Greek, his thesis on 'Sixteen Ways of Paying a Church Debt' had won the ten-dollar prize in Practical Theology. — Sinclair Lewis

Paul gives clear, practical guidelines for the believers in Rome. The Christian life is not abstract theology unconnected with life, but it has practical implications that will affect how we choose to behave each day. It is not enough merely to know the gospel; we must let it transform our lives and let God impact every aspect of our lives. — Anonymous

You know what I like? I like classic stuff. I like 'The Andy Griffith Show' - the variety of characters was so amazing to me. — J. B. Smoove

Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser. — Sandy Koufax

The arduous nature of practical Christianity makes so many people choose theoretical Christianity! Both are however good, but the former is weightier, noble and solemn than the later! Many are called, but few are dedicated! — Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

Exactly halfway between exegesis and practical theology stands dogmatics, — Karl Barth

The Anselmian call for "faith seeking understanding" may start and gather it's energy not in rational study of past theological points but in the pursuit to make sense of our concrete and lived experiences of Jesus who finds us in a hole, knocks us from our horse, or comes to our daughter in her sleep. — Andrew Root

I wish your sister was here. It seems wrong to have a celebration without her. Not to me, it didn't. Just for once, I was quite enjoying being the focus of attention. It might sound childish, but it was true. I loved having Will and Dad laughing about me. I loved the fact that every element of supper - from roast chicken to chocolate mousse - was my favorite. I liked the fact that I could be who I wanted to be without my sister's voice reminding me — Jojo Moyes

There's a difference between a clever person and a smart one. Smart people make their own ways, and clever people use their minds to usurp opportunities to walk on the paths made by others. — Waheed Ibne Musa

The people has no definite disbelief in the temples of theology. The people has a very fiery and practical disbelief in the temples of physical science. — Gilbert K. Chesterton

The Bible does not deny that we were various things - addicts, homosexuals, hateful, prideful, pornographic masturbators - but that is what we were (past tense) (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-5). The emphasis in Scripture is on what we are and what we are called to be. The Christian does not say, Hello, my name is _ and I am an X Y or Z." The Christian says I was dead, but now I am alive. The Christian says I am a struggling sinner, yet I am a saint. The Christians says I am a new creation; I am transformed. — Paul O'Brien

Practical theology is the need to interpret the "where" of Jesus Christ in our experiences of the now. — Andrew Root

Paranoia is just a kind of awareness, and awareness is just another form of love. — Charles Manson

[Theology] may be defined, the doctrine or science of the truth which is according to godliness, and which God has revealed to man that he may know God and divine things, may believe on Him and may through faith perform to Him the acts of love, fear, honour, worship and obedience, and obtain blessedness from Him through union with Him, to the divine glory ... On this account, theology is not a theoretical science or doctrine, but a practical one, requiring the action of the whole man, according to all and each of it's parts
an action of the most transcendent description, answerable to the excellence of the object as far as the human capacity will permit. — James Arminius

When you find that a theology has nothing more to offer than what the world already offers, then that theology as a theology is impractical, and therefore, useless. — Criss Jami

If you look at Governor Romney's family, he's been very successful. He's built a great family, very committed to his wife. — Rick Scott

The Bible knows nothing of any contrast between truth and experience, head and heart, theology and practical living. — Michael S. Horton

I've often said that the desire to lecture China on how it should behave in the world is wrong. China was around for thousands of years even before America existed. It could even be that China's growing power will allow itself to be slowed down. But as long as this immense empire doesn't fall apart, it will become an important factor in global politics. — Henry A. Kissinger

Hope trusts in the promises of God. Hope seeks the action of God that brings forth a new reality. Optimism stands in the current reality, wishing to make the best of each individual experience. But hope stands knee deep in the history of this reality by yearning for the action of God to bring forth a new reality in which everything in this reality is reconciled and redeemed. — Andrew Root

As I see it the world is undoubtedly in need of a new religion, and that religion must be founded on humanist principles. When I say religion, I do not mean merely a theology involving belief in a supernatural god or gods; nor do I mean merely a system of ethics, however exalted; nor only scientific knowledge, however extensive; nor just a practical social morality, however admirable or efficient. I mean an organized system of ideas and emotions which relate man to his destiny, beyond and above the practical affairs of every day, transcending the present and the existing systems of law and social structure. The prerequisite today is that any such religion shall appeal potentially to all mankind; and that its intellectual and rational sides shall not be incompatible with scientific knowledge but on the contrary based on it. — Julian Huxley

The resurrection is the promise that death will not prevail, that nothingness does not have the last word. God promises to overcome it with life ... We can trust that God will overcome death because Jesus is the resurrection, because on the third day Jesus rose again, as the first of many. — Andrew Root

As If I could just turn my feelings off like a faucet. — Simone Elkeles